Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he has taken to promote free trade with Mali after the UK leaves the EU.

As the Prime Minister set out during her visit to Africa last Summer, the Government is committed to advancing our trade relationship with Africa. DIT has set up the Africa Trade Services Unit to act as the single point of contact for UK companies exporting to Africa. The Unit responds to all Africa trade enquiries, including those related to Mali to improve companies’ trading capabilities and promote trade.

The Taxation (Cross-Border Trade) Act 2018 enables the UK to put in place a trade preferences scheme for developing countries that maintains duty-free, quota-free access to Least Developed Countries, including Mali.